


Belonging

by Vrishchika



Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:38:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9606101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vrishchika/pseuds/Vrishchika
Summary: Sometimes fate gives you exactly what you need.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Well, everyone thought I should publish this. It is a complete one-shot, though there will be no sequels. I forgot how complete this actually was, so I'm happy I can treat you guys! As always, AnyaMCL has betaed this over the many months it has been sitting in my drive. 

 

**Belonging**

Sometimes fate gives you exactly what you need.

Tony stared at the mirror, studying his reflection with dark, inscrutable eyes. His expression was blank and his lips were pursed.

 

Nothing seemed out of order.

 

Yeah, he looked a tad bit pale, his jaw and cheekbones stood out sharply but not alarmingly. He stepped back, running his eyes over his body, frowning at the loose fit of his shirt. If he lost any more weight, Ducky was gonna notice… hell, he wasn’t entirely convinced that he _hadn’t._

 

Running his chilled fingers through his hair, he scoffed to himself. Appearances were the least of his problems at the moment. He couldn’t be able to hide it for long, after all. Sooner or later, someone was going to notice. In fact, the only reason they hadn’t had been because work was effectively distracting everyone.

 

He stepped out of his bathroom and walked over his wardrobe. He could wear a shirt over this one and hope no one would pay notice but he doubted it would work. DC was nightmarishly hot at the peak of summer and people tended to dress as lightly as possible.

 

How could he explain Gibbs and his team that he was constantly chilled?

 

Tony sat down on his bed and stared at his pale fingers, considering the merits of just quitting. He knew it would draw Gibbs attention if he quit but he wasn’t sure he could hide it for long. The chill had set in. Nothing he did warmed him. No amount of clothes, hot baths, the heater turned way up high, helped. Soon, the chill would go deep, it would surround him completely, close him off from the world.

 

They’ll definitely notice then.

 

 _Fading_ was nasty business. There was no cure, no quick fix to it once it got started. When the chill settled deep, it left behind nothing but a functional robot, devoid of emotion, not sad, not happy, not anything.

 

It was the worse sort of existence.

 

He dipped his head and traced the ice-blue brand around his thigh. It had first appeared several years ago and he was still no closer to finding whose brand it was. People said those who were branded were fortunate. That they had ideal companions for life, that they were completely exempt from all the mess that came along-side _normal_ relationships.

 

Tony laughed faintly at the irony of it all.

 

No matter how much a hassle normal relationships were, at least people came away from it with their souls intact. Having a soulmate also had a price, and given his luck and the way his life went, it wasn’t much of a surprise that he was Fading. After all, wasn’t rejection the story of his life?

 

Tony bowed his head into his hands, closing his eyes in dismay. He didn’t have much time, that was obvious and as much as he hated to admit it, he needed to see a doctor.

 

And he knew just the person he could trust.

 

With a determined nod, he got dressed for the day, forgoing warmer clothes. They wouldn’t help so what was the use of needlessly worrying his teammates?

 

He stepped out of his house, got into his car and headed for work. It would take strength to pretend that everything was fine, that he was alright. He couldn’t afford to let Gibbs have even a clue about what’s going on with him.

 

After all, there was little his boss could do to help him at this juncture.

* * *

 

“Tony! Come on in.” Dr. Brad Pitt greeted, gesturing him forward. “I was so surprised you booked an appointment with me that I cleared half of my morning.” He said, leaning forward in concern. Experienced eyes took in Tony’s pale, sharp features with a frown. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

 

Tony sighed, rubbing his face and leaning back in the chair. He searched his mind, trying to find the words but he didn’t know where to begin.

 

Biting his lower lip, he shook his head and decided to start at the beginning. “Over five years ago,” He said, swallowing, “the _brand_ appeared on my leg, Brad.” He admitted.

 

Brad suddenly straightened, getting off his seat and rushing towards him. “You’re Fading.” He guessed accurately but his voice was lined with horror. After the whole plague fiasco, Tony and Brad had become good friends. They had gelled easily and developed a great rapport. The prospect of such a cheerful, lively, kind man Fading wasn’t something Brad was willing accept.

 

“Where’s the brand?” Brad demanded, “Show me.” He buzzed a nurse. He need to check Tony’s temperature, his blood-pressure, take his blood-sample and check his weight. The physical consequences of Fading were near brutal and with Tony’s lungs as they were, there was a real chance that Fading might just kill him.

 

“Brad!” Tony interrupted his friend’s frantic thoughts, “I just need to know… what’s gonna happen? I’m always cold,” He admitted, “and that’s… frustrating but I don’t feel weak or dizzy. I’ve lost my appetite, everything sorta tastes bland to me these days.”

 

Brad’s expression was full of anguish. “Hell, Tony,” He whispered, flinching when he felt his friend’s cold skin. “The first thing to go is physical sensations.” He explained. “You’ll stop feeling warmth, savoring taste, even touch wouldn’t give you much pleasure at the moment.” He said, “Next to go would be the emotions.”  


He watched anxiously as Tony pulled down his trousers and showed him the wide, blue band around his upper thigh. It was glowing icy-blue now, while at the beginning it had been a deep, rich, dark blue. “God Tony, this… are you sure you don’t know who your soul mate is?” He demanded. “Such a solid, unusual brand should’ve told you enough.”

 

“Told me what, Brad?” Tony asked softly, tracing the brand. “I’ve seen brands in so many designs, researched in the internet but this gives me no clues. It’s a simple band around my thigh and nothing else.”

 

“You’re wrong. The placement of the band itself is telling.” Brad said softly as the nurse took Tony’s blood pressure. “It’s on a private part of your body, not a place likely to be seen by anyone but you and your soul mate. This person is private, doesn’t like to share their personal life with anyone.” He said seriously. “The brand’s thick and wide, clearly visible. That means-”

 

“And masculine.” The nurse, Julia, pointed out. “The color before the Fading was dark blue, right?” She asked. When Tony nodded, she smiled sympathetically. “Usually, dark, solid colors indicate men.” She informed, “And the thick, blatant mark shows possessiveness and protectiveness. Whoever this person is, he’s instinctively very protective of those he loves.”

 

Brad nodded in agreement and Tony took a deep, steadying breath.

 

“The right side is the dominant side, so whoever this is, has a very strong, forceful personality.” Tony paled at that piece of information and Brad’s expression started to take on a knowing edge. Julia ignored the tension and continued speaking, “Darker shades of blue indicate  importance, confidence, power, and authority, as well as intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism.”

 

Tony closed his eyes in disbelief. He knew it was impossible. People only had one soul mate and Tony was convinced that the person both he and Brad were thinking of had already had one.

 

He laughed hoarsely, “Brad… you know, this is _blatant_ proof that the Big Man upstairs like screwing with me.”

 

“Tony, maybe you should-”

 

“I know what you’re gonna say.” Tony said grimly, “And I’ll make subtle enquiries about it but buddy, I’m not expecting anything to come off it. Right now, I need to look into the future. This Fading? Is it gonna affect my job?”

 

Brad pursed his lips and glanced at the nurse. She looked sad as she noted down the details, collected the blood-samples and stood. She hesitated for a moment before squeezing Tony’s shoulder and walking out of the room.

 

The doctor returned to his seat and frowned, “I’m not an expert in the subject.” He admitted, “But I can help you. For now, there shouldn’t be any problem for you to continue working. In fact, if what I suspect is true, it’ll actually help.” Brad said softly, “But I’d keep up constant practice with the gun and stay active. I know you don’t wanna eat, bud, but you _need_ to. You also need to run, or play some sport so that your hands and legs don’t become numb due to cold. We can address your lack of appetite through some medicines. You’ll need to go on a strict diet so that your body gets all the nutrients it needs. It would help if you take up some martial arts class or even dance.”

 

Tony nodded grimly.

 

“You need to check in with me every week, monitor your blood-pressure, which is very low at the moment.” Brad advised. “And be vigilant. If you feel weak in the morning, experience nausea or vertigo, you need to take the day off and come to me if you can. If you start coughing and feeling congested, you need to come to me immediately. You can’t risk infection of any kind, Tony. Fading will damage your immune system and if you catch pneumonia, you’re gonna be in a lot of trouble.”

 

“Got it.” Tony said but he wondered if catching pneumonia and dying would actually be preferable to the slow torture of Fading.

 

“When did you first start to see symptoms? Notice the mark had become light and cold?” Brad asked, picking up a pen.

 

Tony combed his fingers through his hair. “About a week ago.” He admitted, “I woke up freezing and nothing helped. When I went to work, everyone was complaining about the heat and that’s when it struck me to check the brand.” He said softly. “I… Brad, I wasn’t surprised. Not really. When I first got the brand, I suspected something like this would happen… I made some arrangements about some time ago.” It had been just after Gibbs had left for Mexico.

 

He had understood why the man had left but it hadn’t stopped the pain, not really. And given how people had reacted to his leadership, Tony had almost made up his mind to quit. Only his pride and the thought of Gibbs had stopped him from moving on.

 

But he had made arrangements, bought a small olive farm for himself that’d provide a life-long comfortable income if he ever lost his job. It was working well for him, established and already yielded good profit. He could live off the farm and his Fading would bother no one. Whatever the case, he’d survive without burdening anyone, without being subjected to pity, and without his friends trying to heal something that couldn’t be healed.

 

Brad nodded in acceptance. “Fading usually takes over a year to complete, several cases stretch to two years. We can still work on finding exactly who’s your soul mate, Tony.” He assured, “Until then, you need to look after your health. You’ll start to feel emotionally distant and disassociated after a few months. When that starts to happen, be very careful. People who Fade never react violently but their judgement _is_ hampered. Lack of emotion is just as damaging as too much emotion.”

 

“I know that, Brad.” Tony replied, “Anything else?”

 

The doctor shook his head, looking extremely concerned. He wrote Tony his prescription and advised him to buy a blood-pressure monitor. He also gave Tony a sketch of what his diet should consist, asking him to adhere to the guidelines strictly and never skip a meal if he could help it.

 

Tony accepted everything with a tilt of his head and said his goodbyes, feeling the burden settle on his shoulders.

 

That night, he could do nothing but sit in front of the fireplace, observing the flames while nursing a tumbler of Scotch Neat. He was already kicking himself for not noticing just how blatantly descriptive the brand actually was. He had dismissed it as simple but it was so much more than that.

 

But it couldn’t be Gibbs.

 

Even if he was to ignore the blatant, overshadowing presence of Shannon in Gibbs’ life, he had seen his boss go after lovers he wanted without hesitation, with full force of his charm and personality.

 

If Gibbs wanted him… if he was actually his soulmate… he actually didn’t know how Gibbs would react. For a long time, he had actually suspected Shannon had been his soulmate until he realized that Gibbs hadn’t faded. He had been devastated, but he hadn’t Faded.

 

Closing his eyes, Tony leaned back, trying to ignore the recent revelation.

 

Down that road lay only heartbreak.

  


It was seven months before anyone noticed something was off with Tony.

 

And unsurprisingly, it had been Ducky.

 

So far, Tony had employed his formidable acting skills to keep suspicions at bay. He was careful not to touch people or allow them to touch him. He monitored his own behavior continuously, ensuring he goofed up just enough to stay under the radar but not enough to gain Gibbs’ attention.

 

And wasn’t it telling that unless he screwed up somewhere, his boss didn’t even deem to give him a moment’s notice? He may not know much about how soulmates acted around each other, the phenomenon was rare enough to be considered newsworthy whenever it occurred. But he did know that Gibbs wasn’t his. That hope had been dashed a long time ago.

 

Gibbs treated him with perfect indifference and sometimes even disregard. He knew that the older man cared for him, in some fashion, but merely as one would care about a coworker and friend.

 

Tony had no expectations and he had every intention to leave NCIS before the symptoms of Fading became too prominent.

 

Ducky had put a damper on those plans.

 

“Good Lord!” The ME exclaimed when he felt Tony’s freezing fingers after reaching out to steady him. The older man had stumbled just as they were leaving the crime-scene and Tony had reacted instinctively to save him from a fall. “My boy, your fingers are ice!” He observed, looking at Tony in concern. The weather was comfortably cool and dry but on no account should Tony’s fingers be tinged blue. It wasn’t that cold.

 

“I was holding a soda can, Ducky.” Tony replied smoothly, flexing his fingers with a grin before casually tucking his hands out of sight.

 

Ducky narrowed his eyes at the fib but Tony was saved by an impatient call from Gibbs. The younger man immediately excused himself and went to work collecting evidence, ignoring the ME’s thoughtful gaze.

 

Hopefully, the case would distract Ducky enough that the man would forget the incident.

 

And it seemed that for a while, Ducky _had_ forgotten _._ Gibbs was riding everyone’s ass for results. A young Navy SEAL was found murdered leaving behind an orphaned child whose mother had died to cancer but a few months ago.

 

No one on the team was unaffected by the tragedy the kid had experienced, dealing with the loss of two parents at such a young age and in a span of mere months. Even Tony, with his Fading that was beginning to settle around his heart, could feel the kid’s pain.

 

So the case kept them well occupied for a long time because it stretched for nearly a week. Tempers flared everywhere and everyone from Abby to McGee was frustrated. Tony bore the brunt of it from all directions but he didn’t mind. Because of Fading, he wasn’t so easily rattled, his temper didn’t flare, he kept utterly calm.

 

And that calm was _key_ to solving the case.

 

“McGee, bring up the the report on Lieutenant Mills’ 2004 tour.” Tony said, ignoring the irritated scowl directed his way. At Gibbs sharp order, McGee complied and brought the information up on the plasma.

 

“What are ya looking for, DiNozzo?” Gibbs demanded as he leaned over Tony’s chair and looked at the plasma.  


“Hold on a moment, Boss.” He murmured, “I- there it is.” He stood up and pointed at one entry. “The mission.” McGee brought up a map showing the coordinates where the mission took place.

 

“That’s Afghanistan, dead on the border of known terrorist territory.” Ziva commented.

 

“I’m more interested in what happened there.” Tony said as he flipped a file open, “An American sailor was accused of disobeying orders and breaking ranks, which led to the death to two SEALs. There was only one person aside from the accused, Lieutenant Commander Rivers, who survived the mission.”

 

“Mills.” Gibbs concluded, “He got Rivers dishonorably discharged with his testimony. McGee!”

 

“Look into the whereabouts of Rivers, got it boss.” McGee said and instantly went to work.

 

“How did we miss this?” Ziva asked, looking at Tony with a frown, “We should’ve seen it instantly.”

 

Tony studied the file, “It’s been a long time since then, isn’t surprising that we missed it.” He commented, “But I remembered the name. McGee, don’t focus much on Rivers but on his family, friends or lovers… someone who was particularly close to him.”

 

“Why?” Gibbs demanded, “What about Rivers?”

 

“He’s in a wheelchair.” McGee read out from a report and Tony nodded in agreement. “Was involved in a DUI about two months ago. Paralyzed from waist down.”

 

“A friend of mine from MPD was working the case, told me Rivers was a raging alcoholic since he was discharged. That had slipped my mind entirely until I read one of Mills’ reports.” He was already dialing his friend, Mike Anderson’s number before Gibbs could ask. A few minutes worth of conversation yielded only one name.

 

“McGee, look into Josh Rivers, the younger brother. Mike says he has a temper on him, enough to get him into trouble twice.” Tony said and McGee went to work while Gibbs observed narrowly, waiting for answers. Everyone was relieved that they had finally caught a break, though Tony was well aware that Gibbs was gonna fry his ass for not noticing it earlier.

 

Not that it mattered anymore. His days at NCIS were numbered. He was gonna give Vance a month’s notice of resignation, simply because it wasn’t gonna be easy for them to replace an SFA in his position. Gibbs’ MCRT was the the stuff of nightmares regardless of its stellar reputation and prestige. Not many were eager to become his boss’ SFA. Gibbs himself had confessed once, after reading all of Tony’s reports during his stint as the leader, that McGee wasn’t ready.

 

His leaving wasn’t gonna be easy on anyone, Tony knew.

 

But it was necessary.

 

McGee worked his magic and soon they had Josh Rivers’ record and last-known, and they left HQ in a hurry.

 

The sheer audacity of the man was that he didn’t even try to deny it. He just ran, which was as much affirmation of guilt as anything. They gave into the chase, calling out warnings. Gibbs took one short-cut and Tony took another while McGee and Ziva tried to cut Rivers’ off, to trap him in some alley.

 

But the man nearly gave them a slip. It took Tony throwing his tall body in a fierce tackle to bring Rivers’ down. The SFA ignored the pain of impact with habitual ease, struggling to contain Rivers as the man hissed and punched at him.

 

“Let me go, you fucker!” Rivers’ growled, “Shit you freak, are you a vampire or something?!” Tony grunted as an elbow dug into his ribs and Rivers took the opportunity to make a last bid for escape, plunging a knife mercilessly into Tony’s leg.

 

Tony let out a sharp cry but a surge of irritation added force to his arms and he pushed past the pain, securing their suspect just as Gibbs raced forward, his gun pointed at Rivers and a pinched, angry look on his face.

 

Once Rivers was secure, Tony fell back, looking down at the knife sticking out from his thigh in mild disbelief. Situations like these made him believe there was God up there and He just _loved_ to screw with people. He vaguely registered Ziva kneeling beside him, carefully examining the wound. He locked his jaw against the sting, for the first time, thankful that Fading dulled physical sensations, including pain.

 

Ziva tisked, “Doesn’t look like it cut any important blood vessel.” She observed, “You’ll need surgery to remove the knife.”

 

“I know.” Tony bit out, trying to ignore the heavy presence of Gibbs as his boss knelt down to look at the wound too. Ice blue eyes flickered up to meet his gaze but Tony remained stoic, betraying nothing. He hated that even with the Fading, Gibbs made his heart still with every look, that just a small, barely-there smile from him still had the power to brighten his day.

 

And a glare of disapproval could still turn his blood to ice and his stomach drop.

 

He felt a surge of resentment and turned away, focusing on the knife sticking out of his thigh. Fortunately, the wound was too serious for them to rely on Ducky and Tony could still hide the brand that still burned on his thigh from his team.

 

He missed how Gibbs place his hand on his back only to flinch away at how cold he was. He missed how his boss narrowed his eyes on his pale features, on his expressionless eyes, and how he lingered on his almost blue-tinged fingertips.

 

His time was up.

* * *

“Family of Anthony DiNozzo?” Tony’s doctor asked as she entered the waiting room. “I’m in charge of Mr. DiNozzo, names Cynthia Riley.”

 

Gibbs immediately stood and shook her hand when she offered it, “I’m his next-of-kin. How’s he doin’?” He asked while Ducky leaned forward in interest. Abby was in the corner, looking anxious but Gibbs had forced Ziva and McGee to stay behind in HQ to finish processing their suspect. He had attacked an NCIS agent so they had cause to hold him and right now, DiNozzo was their priority.

 

“He’s doing well, all things considering.” She said with a sad looking smile, checking her file and missing how Gibbs stilled and narrowed his eyes. Ducky looked alert as well and Abby stopped her anxious rocking, her eyes wide with fear. “We’ve removed the knife, which fortunately missed bone, femoral artery and nerve.” She commented, “We have some muscle damage but other than that, nothing. The knife wasn’t serrated so it caused little damage when we removed it. There’s minimal blood loss and there will be no permanent consequences.”

 

Abby breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“We’ve repaired everything but it’s our policy to keep patients with Mr. DiNozzo’s condition overnight for observation.” She said. “We’ve, of course, informed Dr. Pitt about Mr. DiNozzo’s injury and are confident that-”

 

“What are you talking about?” Abby demanded, unable to sit silently, “What condition? Why’re you calling Dr. Pitt? What’s wrong with Tony?”

 

The doctor frowned, “Nothing’s wrong, young lady.” She said softly, “But we’ve to be extra careful with the patients who are Fading-”

 

Gibbs recoiled and Ducky shot forward, grabbing his friend’s arm, seeing his own alarm echoed in those blue eyes.

 

“Fading?” Gibbs demanded as his heart thundered in his chest. He wondered if he had heard wrong, if there was some sort of mistake. But, even as denials screamed for attention, his mind provided ample evidence; evidence that he had ignored for a long time. Tony had fooled them all. He flew expertly under the radar for so many months, stayed out of trouble, did good work and in essence, and blended in with the background.

 

The doctor studied them before she grimaced in apology,  “I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was confidential information.” She said, “But Mr. DiNozzo’s medical files state explicitly that he’s Fading and the first symptoms began around seven months ago. Dr. Pitt is supervising his general health but he’s been seeing a specialist, a Doctor Sawyer White?”

 

Abby slapped her hand over her mouth, tears clouding her eyes while Gibbs sank into his seat, stunned.

 

“I di-”

 

“Cynthia, thank you, I’ll take it from here, if you don’t mind?” The new voice caught everyone’s attention and Gibbs snapped his head up to see Dr. Riley hand Pitt a file and leave. Tony’s friend looked at them grimly, shaking his head at Gibbs’ glare. “You know I couldn’t have said anything without Tony’s permission, Gibbs.”

 

“You damn well should have!” Gibbs growled, surging to his feet and getting in Pitt’s face, “You _know_ how reckless he is, how he doesn’t think straight when it comes to such things. This isn’t a _joke_ , Pitt! _Tony’s_ Fading. I should’ve been told the _instant_ you knew.”

 

“Doctor-patient con-”

 

“I don’t give a damn!” The Marine snapped, “Seven months. We could’ve done something. Found the useless piece of shit who rejected him.”

 

“Are you sure it isn’t you?” Pitt asked bluntly and suddenly, it was dead-silent.

 

Gibbs paled in disbelief as he met the doctor’s piercing gaze. Abby gasped while Ducky looked worried, bowing his head over his hands.

 

“Well, are you Gibbs?” Pitt demanded and he suddenly looked furious, “‘cause I don’t believe for an _instant_ Tony could love someone so much, so desperately, if that man wasn’t his soulmate. I don’t believe that _seven months_ could pass without you noticing that our boy was slowly withdrawing, that he was _Fading._ ” He stepped forward, his own eyes narrowed. Gibbs may have been a Marine but he served too and it took a different kind of strength to patch up of injured sailors and victims in a war-zone.

 

He wasn’t gonna back down.

 

“All your talk, all your demands mean nothing to me.” Pitt growled, “because Tony may not believe it, because you may have convinced him of your indifference but you’ve not convinced _me._ So you don’t need to tell me it isn’t a joke, _Gunny_ . I’ve watched, day after day. I’ve watched him silently resign himself to this and God help me, if it were in my power, I would’ve stopped it.” He narrowed his eyes, “Because he sure as hell deserves better than _you._ ” Pitt spat out before tossing the file to Ducky and heading for the door.

 

“Pitt.” Gibbs called out and when the doctor turned around, he met those angry eyes with his anguished blue gaze. “Are you sure?”

 

Pitt locked his jaw, narrowing his eyes in a glare before shaking his head, “Only you can be sure, Gibbs.”

 

“Then show me the brand.”

 

“Jethro!” Ducky reprimanded while Abby watched, stunned and pale. “You can’t violate Tony’s priv-”

 

“I don’t fuckin’ care about his privacy.” Gibbs growled, “It’s his privacy that got us here in the first place. I’m not gonna be polite when his _life_ ’s hanging in the balance.”

 

Pitt studied him before nodding curtly. Ducky kept trying to dissuade him as they walked swiftly towards Tony’s room, ignoring the curious gazes that followed them.

 

Tony was awake when they entered his room, his eyes widening when he took in Gibbs furious expression. “Boss-”

 

“Where is it?” Gibbs ignored Tony and directed the question at Pitt. The doctor looked at Tony apologetically for a moment before he gestured towards the brand.

 

Tony drew a sharp breath as Gibbs shot forward and snatched the covers away. Ignoring all protests, he tugged the hospital gown up just enough to bare the thigh, his eyes narrowing at the pale blue band.

 

“Gibbs! What the hell!” Tony snapped angrily, his icy fingers encircling the Marine’s wrist, trying to tug his hand away. “Let go, you bas-” He choked, staring down in horror as Gibbs laid a palm flat on the brand.

 

They all fell silent while Tony paled drastically, his fingers like vice around Gibbs’ wrist.

 

“It’s not you.” Tony whispered brokenly and Pitt looked at them in disbelief. Gibbs was staring at the brand grimly, blue eyes furious while Tony let go, leaning back, suddenly exhausted. “It’s not you.”

 

“We’ll find who it is, my boy,” Ducky assured, reaching forward to pull Gibbs back, “I’m sure with the resources at our dis-”

 

“No.” Gibbs said icily.

 

“Jethro-”

 

Gibbs ignored everyone, leaned forward and grabbing Tony’s chin, making the younger man look at him. “No.” He repeated. “I’m not letting some biological hooky take you from me.” He growled out, stunning everyone with his declaration. “There’s a reason everyone, including _you_ , thought it was me.” He said, his voice low and dangerous. “Because you _know_ it’s supposed to be me.”

 

“Boss-”

 

“You gonna tell me I’m wrong, DiNozzo?” Gibbs demanded and Tony closed his eyes, feeling the sting of tears. “You gonna tell me that there’s someone out there who’s gonna take you away from me… that I’ll just let it happen?”

 

“Jethro, don’t be unreasonable.” Ducky warned, “You can’t just defy nature and des-”

 

“Duck,” Gibbs interrupted again, in no mood for denials or protests. “I’ll defy God himself.” He growled, keeping his gaze locked with DiNozzo’s, “If it comes to you, no one else, nothing else matters.” He promised gravely.

 

“Jethro, that’s quite enough! I don’t want you taking advantage of Tony and his Fading.” Ducky said sternly, “I won’t have it.”

 

“I’m Fading, Ducky, not incompetent.” Tony snapped, sitting up. “And I think we need some privacy.” He said, never taking his eyes off Gibbs. Ducky went to protest but Abby caught his arm and pulled him away. Pitt frowned at Tony before he followed the others out and closing the door.

 

Tony bit his lower lip viciously and swallowed nervously. “Why are you doing this, Boss?” He asked as he tried to find the truth in Gibbs’ expression, “Why do you suddenly care?”

 

Gibbs leaned forward and Tony’s breath caught at the intense light in those icy blue eyes. He couldn’t move an inch when the older man reached out and cupped his face with his hands. “I have no excuses.” Gibbs confessed, “I took you for granted, always thought that if there’s one person in this world I’d never lose, it’d be you.” He pressed his forehead to Tony’s. “I’m not gonna let fate or some other bull-shit dictate our life.”

 

“Do you know what you’re saying?” Tony asked in disbelief, “You wanna overturn Fading. Just like that? You know what kinda commitment it’ll take? I can’t ask that of you, Boss.”

 

For a long while Gibbs was silent, looking at Tony before he dipped his head, brushing his lips against the younger man, stealing a light, caressing kiss. Tony stilled, his breath catching in his throat. He watched with hooded eyes as a delicate flush crossed his SFA’s cheeks and those green eyes brightened a bit. “Your cheeks are warm now,” Gibbs whispered with a heated, hungry expression on his face. “With just a small kiss.” He said, his voice low and deep, “You gonna tell me that someone else out there can have this much power over you? Someone who isn’t me?” Tony swallowed, tilting his head back when Gibbs leaned in, pressing his lips to his throat, licking along the skin.

 

A flush of heat swept through him. “Gibbs…”

 

“I will fight.” Gibbs promised fiercely, “And I’ll overwrite that damned brand.” Gun-callused fingers slipped into his hair, pulling Tony’s head back a little. “I’ll make you mine, I’ll draw my own fuckin’ brand on you and it’ll be so strong, darlin’, that even your soulmate begging to get back with you wouldn’t make any damn difference.”

 

Tony chuckled faintly in disbelief, “This is fucking incredible.” He murmured, “Because I gotta tell you, Boss, all this time, I really thought it was you… I was trying to convince myself otherwise. ‘cause it doesn’t make any sense.” He combed his fingers through his hair, looking confused and pained. “If someone else is my soulmate, how can I lo-” He snapped his mouth shut suddenly, his eyes darting away.

 

“How can you love me if someone else is your soulmate.” Gibbs finished for him, “Wasn’t that what you were gonna say?”

 

Tony bit his lower lip, not knowing how to answer. “I-” He jerked, his eyes wide when teeth sank into the shadow of his jawline. A shiver raced down his spine and he couldn’t do anything but tilt his head back, feeling his hair stand on end.

 

Gibbs cupped the back of his head, holding Tony in place as he worked to reduce the younger man’s thoughts to nothing. Tony’s hands climbed up his arms, settling his on his shoulders, those long fingers digging in. He surrendered himself so easily, so completely with such absolute trust that Gibbs couldn’t hold back. He tore his mouth away from Tony’s throat and drew him into a fierce, possessive kiss.

 

Tony sucked in a sharp breath when Gibbs soared above him, cupping his face, licking into his mouth, biting his lips, driving him mad. The older man spared no quarter, intent on proving a point, staking his claim. Those arms surrounded him in a tight, inescapable embrace, fingers crawling down his spine before pressing into the small of his back, nails digging into the skin.

 

Tony let out a small, desperate sound as he sank into the bed, pulling Gibbs close, feeling warm for the first time in months.

 

“Fight with me.” Gibbs rasped against his lips, blue eyes wide and fierce, “Fight for us, fight to _live_ on your own terms, Tony.” The younger man swallowed at the unusual note of desperation in Gibbs’ voice. “You still have a choice. You just need to make it.”

 

“How?” Tony asked, “How’s this gonna work?”

 

Gibbs pulled back a little, rubbing his thumb along Tony’s lower lip with a faint smile, “Do you trust me?” He asked softly.

 

“Yeah.” Tony replied, shifting a little to elevate the returning pain in his leg.

 

Gibbs, of course, recognized it instantly and pulled back. He tugged the covers up and tucked them around Tony. Once he was sure his SFA was comfortable, he cupped Tony’s cheek and looked at him seriously. “I get why you hid this… but it was a damned fool move and you know it.” He reprimanded with a scowl, “If it was really my brand, I had the right to know. And even if it isn’t, I needed to know. What were you gonna do, huh, darlin’? Run away?”

 

Tony licked his lips and turned away, “I used my savings and a small inheritance from mom to buy some land… oil, cheese and things like that.” He admitted, “Was gonna put in my notice at the end of this month.”

 

“You didn’t think I’d care?” Gibbs demanded, “That I’d just let you go off on your own, run without saying anything?”

 

“What was I supposed to think?” Tony demanded, frustrated, “I’m not some mindreader, Boss. I didn’t know how you’d react. I just wanted to spend the months I had before fading completely doing what I loved and with the people I considered my friends and family.”

 

Gibbs closed his eyes in regret for a moment before leaning forward and pressing a soft, apologetic kiss against Tony’s forehead. “Well see this through,” He swore, “You’re going nowhere and nothing is gonna happen. I promise.”

 

Tony just hoped Gibbs could keep that promise.

* * *

“I did research.” Abby said, as she settled beside Tony on Gibbs’ couch. The Lead Agent had insisted that Tony stay over until the whole Fading mess was dealt with. Not that Tony could say anything in protest when Gibbs was in such a mood. “There have been cases where the brand’s been overwritten, you know.” She said, “Or should I say _overpowered._ ”

 

Tony looked at her curiously as he switched off the TV to pay complete attention to her.

 

“In most cases, when people try, it doesn’t work. It requires a different kind of resolve and commitment than normal relationships and marriages. It demands a level of trust that’s, like, beyond this world!” She said excitedly, “It’s like another bond formed over the bond… some research shows that the bond even changes direction, like someone _forces_ it to change direction. But it’s incredibly risky and once you establish it, its permanent, no divorce, no break-up. You can’t even sever the bond and fade like it happens sometimes. It becomes super-strong, like Hulk level strong.”

 

Tony rubbed his face and leaned back. “Yeah, I know.” He murmured.

 

Abby threaded her arm through his hand leaned against his shoulder. “You gotta believe in Gibbs, Tony.” She said softly, “He’ll make this right, I know it.”

 

He didn’t say anything in reply but deep down, he wasn’t so sure. He still didn’t know just who had rejected the bond. Gibbs was adamant to turn the whole thing around but Ducky insisted that not only it couldn’t be done, it wasn’t right to meddle, that they needed to find the person Tony was soul-bound to and settle this.

 

Tony didn’t know what to think.

 

He’d like to believe that Ducky was wrong but it was rare for him to be. All the reassurance in the world didn’t stop him from thinking that all this worrying was futile. Gibbs seemed to pull out miracles from his ass sometimes but _this?_

 

Was it even possible?

 

“No.” Abby said sternly, “You don’t think of giving up.” She turned to face him, grabbing his arms and shaking him lightly. Tony arched a brow but she ignored him, glaring. “Tony!” She punched his arm, “I can’t believe you!”

 

“Abby, if there was any justice in this world, I’d have Gibbs’ mark.” He said harshly, standing up, visibly frustrated. “And now we’ve gotta rely on luck, and Gibbs’ mysterious way of making things go his way… And I gotta tell you, luck’s one lady who never fell to my charm.”

 

“What are you talking about? You’re the luckiest person I know! You survived a _plague_ !” She insisted, looking at him earnestly, “Tony… what’s this all about?” Abby asked, “Any other day, you’d be over the moon! The chemistry between you makes _me_ want to take cold-showers sometimes, you know?” Tony flushed, turning his head away. “Look, Tony, you and Gibbs… there’s something special there. Both of you,” Green eyes turned towards her in question as she paused, biting her lower lip uncertainly.

 

“Abby?”

 

“I don’t know why you aren’t bonded, why you don’t have each other’s marks.” Abby said softly, “Gibbs, he loves all of us and I’m his favorite, of course.” She said with a smirk and Tony rolled his eyes. “You’re the one he _really_ talks to, you know. You’re the one that goes to his house for drinks, that helps him with problems, _predicts_ he’s got problems when he tries to hide it from us. You’re like dad and _dad._ The dads of our little family.”

 

Tony choked a little, looking at her incredulously, “ _Dads?_ Really? You couldn’t find any other analogy that fit?” He demanded.

 

Abby just grinned in response and shook her head, “No, it fits perfectly. Gibbs’ like the stern, no-nonsense, responsible dad who keeps everyone in line.” She pointed out, warming up to the subject, “And you’re the fun dad, the best-friend, the one kids run to when they’re in trouble, knowing you’ll deal and offer comfort.”

 

Tony scoffed, “Yeah, it sure does seem like that sometimes.” He did between them and an angry Gibbs, and cover their slight mistakes sometimes, which was rare now.

 

“Anyways, I’m just saying that, without you? Gibbs won’t be the same, he’d still work here, still solve cases, but he won’t be the same.” Tony combed his fingers through his hair, shaking his head. “So you need to tell me what’s really bothering you.”

 

Tony sat down, bowing his head over his hands. “He doesn’t deserve this, Abbs.” He confessed softly. “This whole mess… he’s getting into it and it’s gonna turn out to be another Moby Dick for him, I know it. But in the end, what happens if he can’t do anything? What if Ducky’s right and everything goes on it’s natural course and I finish Fading? I thinks it’s better to just-”

 

“Just what?”

 

Both Abby and Tony froze in surprise, turning their eyes towards Gibbs, who was leaning against the door, his eyes narrowed.

 

“Boss, I-”

 

“I’ll just go.” Abby said with a grin and fled after pressing a farewell kiss to both their cheeks.

 

After the door slammed shut, Gibbs stalked forward, blue eyes intent on Tony’s face. The younger man scooted in his seat but soon Gibbs was braced above him, his hands on the arms of the chair, on either side of Tony.

 

He had no room to move away, just as Gibbs intended, obviously. “Boss, I’m just saying…”

 

“I don’t much care for what you’re sayin’.” The Lead Agent bit out, “Not when it involves me backing off. And I don’t care if this turns out to be a _Moby Dick_. Last time, I got my man.”

 

Tony ducked his head, “I can’t put you through this, Boss.”

 

“Darlin’, I’m not-”

 

“What if Ducky’s right? What if we’re just wasting our time? Because I don’t want to feel like this, Boss, trapped and cornered.” Tony said insistently, “Who knows how long before all my emotions shut off? How long until nature’s so-called _defence mechanism_ kicks in? If I’ve got just a few months, I wanna spend it feeling… feeling like it’s alright.” He hesitated for a moment before reached out and cupped Gibbs cheek, “I already got to kiss you,” He whispered, his tone wistful, “And I’ve been wanting that for over a decade.”

 

“I’m not gonna sit back and let you wither away, turn into some god-damned robot.” Gibbs snapped, grabbed his hand and pressing a kiss to it, sinking his teeth into the meat of his palm in gentle punishment. “I know what Fading does, and it ain’t pretty.”

 

“Ducky said I’ll eventually recover, somewhat.” Tony said softly.

 

“And after how long?” Gibbs demanded, “Ten years? Twenty? _Thirty?_ Will you have much life to live after that?” He asked, kneeling before Tony. “The fact that _Ducky’s_ interfering makes least amount of sense. He, of all people, knows what Fading does to a person, how it rips away everything that makes them human. Even after they recover, they ain’t the same. I won’t see you reduced to that, Tony.”

 

Tony licked his lips, “You might not have the choic-”

 

“Don’t talk like that.” Gibbs commanded sharply, “I wouldn’t have given up if you had cancer or something that might kill your body and I’m not gonna give up against something that’s killing your soul.”

 

Tony studied him for a long moment but nodding, giving in. Gibbs smiled faintly in response and stood, grimacing when his knee popped. “How’s the leg?”

 

The SFA grinned and wiggled his toes, “Pretty good, actually. Very little pain, I can walk though I need to use the cane,” He gestured at the stick in the corner, “I’m good for desk-duty, Boss.”

 

Gibbs scoffed, “I’ll decide that, DiNozzo.” He handed Tony a carton of chinese he had brought with him and settled down on the couch, “Though the case is closed and reports are filled. Nothing much left to do before the weekend unless a new case pops up. Vance was considering taking us off rotation.”

 

They ate in silence for a long moment, Tony poking the food with his chopsticks as his thoughts wandered. After a while, he finally spoke up. “I heard you yelling. At Ducky.” He whispered, “Your oldest friend.”

 

“He has no business interfering.” Gibbs snapped, “Not in this.”

 

“He cares about you… we call care about you.” Tony insisted, “And he wants to ensure you don’t get in too deep in case things don’t work out.”

 

“ _If?_ ” Gibbs demanded before raising his hand and shaking his head, “No. We’re not having this argument and I’m not gonna waste my breath if you aren’t gonna believe me.” He narrowed his eyes at his SFA, “I’ll just have to prove you wrong.”

  


Gibbs absently noted his mail being placed on his desk as he pursued a report. Tony was just across him, comfortably situated at his own desk, his leg much better than it was a last week and he certainly looked better. They hadn’t taken their relationship in any direction since the kiss in the hospital and Gibbs was sure it wasn’t gonna go anywhere until the sword hanging over their head was removed.

 

He knew Tony was right to be cautious. Very few who challenged Fading actually succeeded. There were tales, of course, and some of them great testaments of love and resolve.

 

It didn’t surprise him to know Tony didn’t believe he’ll get lucky.

 

Gibbs wanted to prove him wrong.

 

He reached for his mail and paused when he found one odd envelope. Frowning, he cut it open and pulled the document from within in, already feeling a stir in his gut.

 

‘ _Mr. Leroy Jethro Gibbs…_ ’

 

The words were slow to register, the meaning elusive at the first reading. He paused, reaching for the envelope and peering at the address. He went back to the documents, read it thoroughly once again, his lips pressing into a thin line as his eyes glowed with icy rage.

 

The slam of his chair against his desk silenced the entire bullpen as Gibbs stood, the document clutched in his hand as he looked at Tony before spinning on his heel he heading for the elevator. Fortunately, others read him correctly and didn’t follow him, even Tony didn’t dare.

 

He wasted no time, heading straight for autopsy and Ducky was waiting for him, his expression calm but resolute.

 

“You had no right.” Gibbs bit out, slamming the document on the table, “Absolutely no right.”

 

“On the contrary,” Ducky replied easily, “I have every right, as Tony’s primary physician and as his friend.” He explained, narrowing his eyes, “Jethro, in this matter, you’re being entirely unreasonable.” He said sternly, “I know you love Tony and he clearly feels affection for you but you’ve always had this power over him and Fading has only intensified that. You’re taking advantage and you know it.”

 

“He’s Fading, I’m trying to prevent that and you actually suggest I let him Fade?” Gibbs demanded, narrowing his eyes in a fierce glare, “What do you think this-” he gestured at the document, “You informed the SRC? You got those incompetent fuckers involved?” He growled. He knew it was Ducky. Only Ducky would dare to go against his express permission and do something like this. Only he would dare to call the Soul Relations Council on this. “They’re investigating the situation and you _know_ they’ll limit my contact with Tony. You might as well have told them that Tony’s judgement is impaired! I don’t get it! Why the hell would you interfere with this? You, of all people, should know how much Fading-”

 

“Which is exactly why I need to interfer!” Ducky said instantly, not responding to Gibbs’ anger. “I know how much Fading can devastate a man and that’s why I can’t let you act selfishly. Tony’s true mate is out there, probably not even aware that they rejected their bonded.” He insisted, “We need to act rationally and I can’t allow you to use your influence of Tony cause harm. An agent from the Agency will come in tomorrow to match Tony’s brand.” Gibbs locked his jaw, “And you’ll let this happen, if you care at all about Tony.”

 

Gibbs leaned forward, his expression dangerous, “Another rejection would just push him further into Fading. You willing to risk that?”

 

Ducky remained unmoving, “If it comes to that, it’s unfortunate, but knowing what I know, I cannot allow your plans to continue. I’m sorry, Jethro. This is how it has to be.”

 

He stared at his oldest friend in disbelief and wondered where this stoic, unsympathetic creature had sprung from. The Ducky he knew would never have done this, he never could’ve acted so callously, never would’ve risked Tony’s well-being over some fool notion of fairness.

 

Threats and warnings crowded Gibbs’ mind but he didn’t give voice to them. The fury and betrayal he felt was too keen, too potent for him to let his tongue loose.

 

Their friendship, though, was irrevocably lost.

 

Gibbs could forgive a lot of things, but he wouldn’t forgive someone deliberately placing Tony in harm’s way, regardless of who they were.

 

It was as painful to tell Tony as it was  to confront Ducky. He watched as Tony’s eyes widened before an expression of resignation and aching loss settled over his features. He looked like he had anticipated this, that he had seen trouble coming and hadn’t allowed himself the luxury of hope.

 

Gibbs hated Ducky for putting that expression in Tony’s eyes, because it suddenly seemed that Fading was back with full-force, that those green eyes were less vibrant. “Tony,” He whispered, his voice low and private. “We’ll sort this out.” He assured but the promise felt hollow and Tony recognized it, judging by his pale smile.

 

“It’s alright.” He murmured, carefully pulling away from Gibbs, “At least, we’ll be able to solve the mystery. I’ll finally know who this person is.” Tony directed a pale smile at him and sat back.

 

Gibbs felt his throat close and he ducked his head, pulling away before the scrutiny of their co-workers became too much. The rest of the day was too silent to not be painful. Ziva and McGee read the atmosphere and sent concerned looks at the direction but they daren’t question Gibbs and Tony was resolutely quiet.

 

Tony didn’t come home that night or any other night after. Gibbs had seen the interviews with the council happening but he wasn’t allowed to interfere. Every meeting ended with Tony looking grim and cold.

 

The withdrawal was too obvious now. Tony was distant, his sparkling humor, even his smile absent. Ziva and McGee tried pushing the SFA, tried inciting his temper but Tony was stubbornly silent. He enforced authority with a heavy, indifferent hand. He wanted all reports done on time, every detail carefully noted down, and all avenues investigated properly.

 

This didn’t sit well with anyone. With the buffer removed and Gibbs increasingly volatile temper, everyone in NCIS was tense. Even Vance was watching the situation warily.

 

Gibbs just didn’t know what to do. Even though the SRC had declared Tony as mentally sound and competent, it didn’t stop them from limiting his access to Tony. Legally, of course, they had no grounds to forbid any interaction between him and his SFA, but the younger man had started to pull away.

 

Any progress that he made had been flushed down the drain, thanks to Ducky.

 

Tony’s absence in his home and his steady aloofness felt like a death-knell to him. His SFA grew worse by the day, paler, colder, silent. Fading was just as cruel as it was subtle, he knew. It leached away all warmth, all color from life until there was nothing left but a hollow shell, that just existed without anchor.

 

To think that such a thing was in store for _Tony?_ His vibrant, always smiling, playful, kind, compassionate, _beautiful_ Tony?

 

Despite what Ducky said, people really didn’t recover from Fading, not completely. It took decades before they reached even a semblance of normalcy.

 

How could Ducky consign Tony to that?

* * *

ADA Calum Reagan.

 

Tony fell into his seat, looking at the tall, handsome man in front of him in disbelief. He took in those stunning gray eyes, black hair almost artistically tinted with silver strands, the fit, well-maintained body, and wondered, almost hysterically, at his luck.

 

He knew Calum, he remembered the wild, drunken night after a particularly grueling case. Gibbs had been hard that day and Tony had fled because needed to recover from the tongue-lashing he had gotten. He needed a break away from his life so he had picked the first discreet bar he could find and proceeded to drown drink after drink.

 

He had met the ADA that night. Calum had been temptation, something to distract him from the increasingly strong feelings for his boss.

 

The irony wasn’t lost on him.

 

The man was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, observing Tony with an intent, serious gaze that spelled nothing good. Ducky was standing in the sidelines, looking grimly satisfied while Abby lingered in the shadows, on the verge of tears.

 

Tony could feel the blackness encroaching on him as he struggled to understand the situation.  He hadn’t actually believed that the SRC would succeed. In fact, he had been convinced that they wouldn’t. After all, different people had different brand triggers. For some people, it could appear at the mere brush or shoulders, for others, it required sex. The list of potentials for Tony in either case was too long to lead to any concrete results.

 

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath before straightening and looking at his supposed soul mate. “Hello, Calum.”

 

The ADA’s lips curled into a wry smile. “Tony.” He greeted, “We’ve found ourselves in a mess, haven’t we?” He murmured.

 

Tony chuckled faintly, “Yeah… looks like it.”

 

“Agent DiNozzo,” The agent from the SRC stepped forward, trying to ease the tension. “ADA Reagan, do you understand why we’re assembled here?”

 

They both nodded, not taking their eyes off each other. Ducky and Abby exchanged glances while Gibbs stood a little away from the group, his head bowed slightly but his eyes fixed on Tony.

 

“ADA Reagan, the rejection, can you tell us why you denied the bond.” The Agent, Kate Walker, asked gently. “So we may decide what to do from here on out.”

 

Reagan shrugged uncomfortably, looking away. “Tony and I just hooked up… you know how the attraction is… instantaneous and overwhelming.”

 

The NCIS swallowed at the memory. That night had been intense, so passionate, so free that Tony could honestly say that nothing before or since had ever compared. The connection had been searing, burning away all hesitation, all protests and leaving behind nothing but _want_.

 

“But I was… I _still_ am, married.” Calum said earnestly, “And I love my wife and I have kids. I never anticipated this,” He gestured expansively, “I didn’t even consider the possibility.”

 

Tony felt a calm settle over him that was unnaturally cold and final. He took a deep, silent breath and nodded, “That’s as valid reason as any.” He pointed out, his voice giving nothing away as he stood, his posture straight and proud. “Calum, this isn’t my idea or my wish. I’m not gonna tear-up a good, happy family just because we have some vague connection. I accep-”

 

“Wait, hold on.” Calum interrupted, “I spoke to Nina, my wife.” He confessed, “And if you’re willing, we can try… an open marriage, of sorts.” He suggested, slowly taking a step forward. “I don’t want you to Fade anymore than your friends do, Tony. If I can stop this… I will. I’m just sorry, I didn’t know I rejected you when we talked that morning. I didn’t know the soul-brand had appeared.” He took another step forward, even now, after so many years, unable to resist the allure.

 

Calum reached forward to cup his cheek, trying to see if that spark was still there, that intense attraction that brought them together that night was still there.

 

Tony recoiled, instinctively reaching for Gibbs.

 

The ADA froze and Walker sucked a sharp breath of surprise.

 

Gibbs reacted just as instinctively and surged forward, his arm wrapped around his SFA as his body moved between Reagan and Tony, every inch screaming protectiveness. He felt Tony lean against his back, left the cool forehead on his nape and the dry breath on his collar.

 

Everything was still. Tony should’ve felt the draw. He was Fading, he should’ve reached for Calum like a man dying of thirst would reach for water. His first, instinctive reaction shouldn’t have been to flinch and reach for someone else.

 

There was no more damning proof. Tony’s loyalties had shifted, if they were really with Calum in the first place.

 

“Oh my.” Ducky whispered while Abby made a small sound of surprised triumph.

 

Calum straightened, pulling his hand back. He observed Gibbs intently for a long moment, unfazed by the chilling glare of the protective Marine. “You’re Jethro Gibbs.” He murmured.

 

Gibbs nearly sneered, “What of it?”

 

The ADA’s lips curled in a small, knowing smile but he didn’t say anything else. He looking beyond the Marine, trying to catch Tony’s attention. “I was hoping something like this would come up.” He admitted finally, surprising everyone present.

 

Tony looked up, meeting the ADA’s eyes in question and anxiety.

 

A small, pleased, yet grim smile crossed Calum’s lips as he rolled the sleeves of his right arm up. “The brand didn’t appear until weeks after that night.” Calum admitted, ignoring how Gibbs bristled at the allusion to something that he would rather not think of.

 

There was a brand around his bicep, a silver feather curling around the muscle. “It was a deep, vivid green, almost jewel-toned with accents of yellow and blue.” He said, “Like your eyes. It told me a lot about your nature, too.” Calum said conversationally, “When I visited the Fading specialist, he read the mark and said my soul mate was lively and vibrant, someone who was always inclined to smile and be happy. He was also someone who had a very strong sense of justice, and would always strive to do what’s right.” A fond smile curled at his lips as he observed Tony. “I was told that my mate was very loving, but also had the tendency to hide, that he wanted attention and affection, but didn’t seek it.”

 

Gibbs’ countenance softened reluctantly at the accurate description of Tony.

 

“It’s no longer green.” Abby pointed out, unable to help it.

 

Calum nodded at that, “The silver represents my wife.” His smile turned loving, “It fits her too. She’s very feminine, cool, and calm.” He caressed the mark, “But the feather will always represent Tony. His lightness of spirit, his fragility, and his beauty.” It was clear that while the ADA loved his wife, he cared about Tony too.

 

“You wife overwrote the brand.” Gibbs concluded and Calum nodded once again, looking at his SFA in concern. “How?” He demanded.

 

“Agent Gibbs, I believe that is something you must find for yourself.” Calum said sternly, his eyes narrowed at the Marine. Gibbs knew, of course, that no soul-mate of Tony would ever be anything but equal to him in kindness and understanding.  He could clearly see that the man in front of him had no intention of letting Tony suffer.

 

“I _can_ tell you that he won’t Fade.” The ADA affirmed, “But he _will_ go through Fading like symptoms. I did.” He explained. “But our bond wasn’t formed completely in from the very beginning.” Calum said softly, “If I hadn’t met my wife and Tony hadn’t met you, Agent Gibbs, things would’ve been different and nature would’ve run its course.”

 

“But how’s that possible?” Agent Walker from SRC finally spoke, a delicate frown marring her features. “You’re saying that the brand was faulty from the very beginning? We’ve never witnessed such an event before.”

 

Calum looked at Tony and arched a brow questioningly. The SFA immediately read the look and bit his tongue before sighing. “He’s right.” Tony admitted, drawing everyone’s attention. He gathered his courage by both hands and finally confessed. “There was a physical pull, which is likely what forced Calum to-” Tony shrugged helplessly when the ADA cringed at the reminder. “But there was no emotional pull… he’s too in love with his wife and I’m too attached to Gibbs.”

 

Gibbs stiffened before turning around and narrowing his eyes at Tony, “How long ago was this?” He tried to think back, tried to find if he had missed the sign-

 

“About six years ago.” Calum said and Tony bit his lip harshly, glaring at the man.

 

“ _Six-_ ” Gibbs bit back a snarl, resisting the urge to grab Tony and shake him. Tony… the self-sacrificing idiot had been in love with him for over six years and hadn’t spoken a word about it! How much of this could’ve been avoided if Tony had just-

 

Ducky shot him a warning look and Gibbs bit back his ire. He had no place to complain because he hadn’t spoken up either. In fact, no matter how he looked at it, the blame rested largely on his shoulder. He hadn’t encouraged Tony in any way and his SFA lacked the self confidence to take the first step.

 

“It’s clear that Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo have much to discuss.” Walker said, “And I think it’s not a good idea to interrupt any progress they make at this stage.” She turned to Calum, “ADA Reagan, if you don’t mind, I would like to discuss the overwrite with you.” Calum nodded, smiling at Tony one last time before walking out with the SRC agent out.

 

Abby quickly followed after she pressed a joyful kiss against Tony’s cheek. Ducky just patted Tony’s shoulder and walked out without a word. He was well aware that Jethro wasn’t in the mood for any words.

 

Tony looked around the empty room and took a deep breath, wondering what w-, “ _Umph!_ ”

 

“You. are. Mine. ” Gibbs all but snarled as he pushed Tony against the door. Icy blue eyes dared him to protest as the strong body pressed up against him. “And I swear if you pull this shit again, I’ll-” Gibbs bit off a curse and slanted his lips over Tony’s in a rough kiss.

 

The younger agent went still for a moment before his eyes slipped close.

 

_Yeah. He was Gibbs’._

  



End file.
